MW: BOE: Banks more willing to lend in fourth quarter
By William L. Watts
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- British banks were more willing to make loans to households and businesses in the final quarter of 2009 and expect to further boost loan availability in the first quarter of 2010, according to the Bank of England's quarterly credit conditions survey released Thursday. The survey found that a net balance of lenders reported a rise in the availability of secured credit to households, driven partly by an improved economic outlook. Unsecured credit availability to households continued to decline, but banks expected it to stabilize in the coming quarter, the BOE said. A net balance of lenders reported further improvement in corporate credit availability in the past three months, with a further rise seen in the first quarter of 2010, the BOE said.
